Fatalism and Development: Nepal’s Struggle for Modernization by Dor Bahadur Bista: A Comprehensive Review

Dor Bahadur Bista’s Fatalism and Development: Nepal’s Struggle for Modernization (1991) offers a bold, insightful, and profoundly critical analysis of the deeply rooted socio-cultural impediments hindering Nepal’s progress. The book, described as having the philosophical flavor of attempts like Max Weber's Protestant Ethic or Alexis de Tocqueville's Ancien Régime, is considered essential for understanding the complexities of modernization in the Himalayan nation.

Overview of the Author and His Perspective

Dor Bahadur Bista is acknowledged as Nepal’s leading social anthropologist. Born in 1928 in Lalitpur, Nepal, he received a broad education in Kathmandu, London, and Wisconsin. Bista brought a unique perspective to this work, cultivated through his experiences as the first professor of anthropology at Tribhuvan University, his various teaching assignments across international universities, and his extensive involvement in business and developmental activities within Nepal.

Crucially, Bista writes as a "sympathetic yet critical insider" who acquired a deep understanding of Nepal’s complex ethnic mix through extensive travel, including time spent in the company of leading anthropologist Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf. His position as an insider grants him the ability to offer objective and frank commentary and "say things which no outsider could say" about the internal struggles of his country. The book attempts to diagnose Nepal's ills by examining how deeply entrenched values, particularly among the elite, compromise the potential for modernization.

Detailed Summary of Main Arguments and Themes

Bista argues that Nepal’s struggle for modernization is fundamentally a cultural one. Nepal is a heteronomous society comprising a complex ethnic mix. Within this diversity, many indigenous ethnic groups possess "positive social qualities" conducive to development, such as a strong commitment to productive labour, high capacity for endurance, efficient cooperative organizational styles, and high adaptive propensity.

However, these indigenous strengths are increasingly suppressed and endangered by an "alien culture": the culture of fatalism. This fatalistic culture is inherently in conflict with development because it devalues the concept of productivity.

The bulk of Bista’s argument centers on the corrupting influence of this fatalistic culture, which he associates primarily with the "cumbersome and ossified structure" of the urbane upper-class and high-caste Hindu society of the Kathmandu Valley. Key negative institutions and belief systems identified are:

1. Fatalism: The absolute belief that one has no personal control over life circumstances, which are determined by a powerful external agency or divinity—often encapsulated in the concept of karma. In this worldview, karma is seen as predestined and unalterable by present action.
2. Dependency: Fatalism is highly connected to various forms of dependency. This vertical dependence emphasizes a continuing superordinate-subordinate relationship that extends outside the family into society.
3. Afno Manchhe ("One's Own People"): This institution is a pervasive social circle of associates essential for security and success. While reflecting traditional collectivism, afno manchhe readily subverts institutional goals, fostering problems of inclusion-exclusion, factionalism, and corruption.
4. Chakari (Sycophancy): Defined as a passive, instrumental behavior aimed at demonstrating dependency to elicit favor from a powerful person. Originating in religious ritual, it was formalized by the Ranas and persists today. Persistence in chakari is seen as merit, replacing the efficient fulfillment of duties. Bista insists that chakari "must be purged if economic success is to be a reality in Nepal".

Bista argues that Nepal’s strengths have historically rested on the indigenous qualities of its ethnic groups, but that modernization has been defeated by the attempts at "Indianization" of its culture, specifically the negative, hierarchic aspects of caste culture (Bahunism).

Critical Analysis of Fatalism and Development Challenges

The culture of fatalism directly undermines the mechanisms necessary for modernization and growth.

The most significant consequence is the devastating effect on the work ethic and achievement motivation. Because one's destiny is fated, personal effort seems pointless; instead, individuals focus on accumulating religious merit. High-caste individuals consequently despise physical labor, equating work (dukkha) with pain. Their goal is a salaried job (Jagir) where one does not have to work but still receives a paycheck, viewing a high position as a reward to be enjoyed rather than a duty to society. This results in a lack of productive effort among the educated elite.

Fatalism also compromises Nepal’s capacity for planning and temporal orientation. Nepali culture lacks a strong sense of time as discrete or linear, viewing it instead as an "endless present". The future is only taken seriously in the sense of the "life hereafter," discouraging pragmatic planning for economic stability or old age. This leads to a consummatory orientation—squandering resources immediately without consideration for the future, leading to perpetual reliance on foreign investment.

Furthermore, fatalism affects the sense of responsibility. Since control is external (divine or external administrative forces), responsibility is displaced. The individual does not feel bound to keep contractual relations because agreements are completed only if they were fated to be completed.

In relation to foreign aid, fatalism reinforces dependence. Foreign aid is often perceived not as a resource for productive growth, but as a "divinely instigated redistribution" that is "justly due to Nepal". When development fails, the tendency is to blame external circumstances or the powerful foreign donors themselves, maintaining "a childlike innocence" on the part of the Nepali elite. The combination of dependency, chakari, and fatalism results in government processes that are built-in guarantors of incompetence, inefficiency, and misplaced effort.

Historical, Cultural, and Political Context

The book was written during a significant period of political flux. The typescript was completed in the summer of 1989, following nearly four decades after the overthrow of the Rana prime ministers in 1950, which ended Nepal's isolation as a medieval society. Bista notes that the period between 1989 and 1990 saw "remarkable changes in the political system of the country". The chapter on 'Politics and Government' was updated around June 1990, reflecting the introduction of the liberal and democratic multi-party system.

Culturally, the book is centered on the cultural systems of the major groups of the high caste Hindus. The caste system, first appearing marginally in the Licchavi era, was imposed largely by local ruling elites who applied Bahunistic principles to entrench their class status. The negative influence of this caste culture became pervasive during the middle of the nineteenth century.

Politically, the book examines the failures of various imported systems (parliamentary, Panchayat) to adapt to the national character, particularly the pervasive paternal dependency. This dependency ensures that authority resides ultimately with the monarch, viewed as a protective father figure, making the King a central focus for chakari. Bista critiques the administrative chaos that evolved, noting that the investment in a large bureaucratic apparatus far exceeded the development of the necessary technical-economic infrastructure.

Impact, Relevance, Critiques, and Controversies

Fatalism and Development challenged prevailing scholarly views. Bista explicitly denied the historical notion that "Nepal is India in the making" and instead asserted that Nepal's developmental problems stem from the attempted Indianization of its culture, specifically through the imposition of Hindu caste culture. He also critiqued Western theoretical frameworks, which often obscured issues concerning value systems by focusing too heavily on Indian caste models or capitalist periphery theories.

Bista anticipated significant controversy and critique from within the dominant high-caste groups, noting that many educated members are unaware of their own culture's negative impact. He observed that critics often prefer to focus on "politico-economic aspects" rather than confronting the socio-cultural and religious values imposed upon the national society. The book is controversial for directly identifying the high-caste Hindu elite (Bahun-Chhetri) as the primary agents perpetuating the debilitating value system.

The book’s relevance today is affirmed by Bista himself, who noted in 1990 that the fundamental socio-cultural value system of Nepali society "still remains" as described. The shift to democracy only offered possibilities for change, and the future success "is yet to be seen". The persistence of the fatalistic attitude, which can be secularized and perpetuated even by non-caste individuals seeking status, suggests that the challenges Bista identified remain central to Nepal's ongoing struggle for stability and prosperity.

Reflections for Readers and Scholars

Readers and scholars gain a crucial understanding of modernization as a process not just of technological transfer or political structuring, but of profound cultural transformation. Bista emphasizes that Nepal's path to development must be indigenous.

Key lessons include:

• The Power of Values: The book demonstrates how a core, debilitating value system (fatalism) can penetrate and subvert imported modern institutions (bureaucracy, education, foreign aid), turning tools designed for efficiency into mechanisms for reinforcing dependency and status.
• The Hidden Resource: Scholars must recognize that Nepal's greatest resource is its ethnic population. These groups (such as the Kirat, Gurung, and Magar) possess inherent qualities—hard work, endurance, cooperation—that are vital for development and offer greater flexibility than the ossified high-caste structure.
• Need for Internalized Change: Modernization requires Nepalis to internalize responsibility, overcome the "archaic values of hierarchic caste discipline," and liberate themselves from cultural mores that punish productive labor.
• Challenging the Status Quo: The book urges intellectual honesty to resist the imposition of a fatalistic hierarchic social order, arguing that such values are irreconcilable with genuine development. By quantifying the negative consequences of chakari, afno manchhe, and fatalism, Bista provides a framework for diagnosing bureaucratic and political incompetence in developing nations rooted not in lack of skill, but in cultural practice.